Sunday, May 31, 2015

Happy Sunday everyone! Check out my post on our collaborative blog {iTeach Bilinguals} for a Sunday Sample from me!! Today I am sharing my Interactive Grammar Notebook in Spanish. This notebook has had a huge impact in my grammar lessons. My students also love these activities and take pride in their notebooks.

Click the picture below for a sample to try out with your students TODAY!!!

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Wooop Woooop!!! Thank you so much to Chrissie from Undercover Classroom for recognizing my little blog for the Liebster Award! I am so excited to share my blogging journey thus far with you!

Awww isn't this button the cutest! Anyway, it is an honor to be nominated for this award. I had seen this cute little button on other blogs but had never thought I'd be a recipient nor did I know how blogs were selected for this honor. However, I am thankful for Chrissie finding my blog and sharing this award with me. The Liebster Award is a way for new bloggers to support and encourage each other on this journey!

1. Why and how long ago did you start blogging?I began blogging about three months ago (February 2015)! This marked my one year as a TpT seller and I decided I had more to share about my journey as a bilingual teacher. Blogging is my way of reflecting about my teaching practices and joys. 2. What one word sums up the heart of your blog and why?Committed! I am committed to the success of my students and to finding ways of creating life-long learners! I began this blog to reflect that commitment and passion!3. Is there something you learned late in your blogging journey that you wished you knew before?Well, three months of blogging has really opened up my eyes to the benefits of networking and learning from bloggers all around! I don't consider any learning late learning; however, I do WISH I had started this blog earlier in my career!4. What is your favorite pastime other than blogging?Reading and creating TpT products! 5. How many hours per week do you dedicate to your blog/TPT?During the week, I try to work on my blog/TpT, but I find myself distracted by other blogs, FB posts, and my homework (work I take home from school) lol! Saturday mornings are usually my most productive days! I'd say I spend about 20 hours a week on blogging and TpT.6. What category of blog posts do you enjoy the most?I am usually drawn to blogs that focus on literacy and organization. I love reading posts that are sweet and to the point. For example: "3 steps to ......" or "5 secrets to ......" 7. Where does your blog inspiration come from?My blog inspiration comes right from my own experiences and the needs I see in my everyday teaching. 8. Which post that you've written are you most proud of?I am most proud of my blog post about What Works: Successful Teachers Share Secrets from their Classrooms. Even though this post was a linky during teacher appreciation week, I worked really hard and shared meaningful examples from my classroom that I hope will benefit many educators. 9. Is there a post that you are planning to do but have been postponing it for a while?Yes, there are toooooo many to list, lol! With the end of the year coming to a close, I hope to do much blogging this summer. It will be my first summer with a blog, so I will have plenty to keep me busy and going. I have a list of blog posts jotted and many plans for future products that I hope will be beneficial for educators everywhere!10. What is your favorite aspect of blogging?My favorite aspect of blogging is the self reflection gained from experiences. I love that blogging provides opportunities for teachers to connect with each other, share best practices, and basically stick together (support system) when needed. 11. Which idea from a blog would you like to try yourself?
I would love to try Miss DeCarbo's Weekly Lesson Plan and Planning Tricks. I absolutely love everything she creates and wish my lesson plans looked just like hers! Her binders on pinterest look a.d.o.r.a.b.l.e!Now I would L.O.V.E. to nominate the following blogs for the Liebster Award!1. Judy at The Busy Bilingual Teacher2. Chandra at Powerpoint Gaming3. Megan at Snapshots of Sixth Grade4. Michelle at Teaching Ideas For Those Who Love Teaching5. Antoinette at Shoelaces and Sugar Cookies**Here are the Liebster Award rules:**

Link back to the blog that nominated you

Answer the 11 questions posted by the nominator

Nominate 5-11 blogs (with less than 200 followers) and link to them in your post

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Hello everyone! I am happy to link up today for this Sailing Into Summer Blog Hop hosted by the wonderful Lauralee from The Language Arts Classroom and Julie from Faulkner’s Fast Five!!!1) 1 final exam tip/ideaTesting can definitely be stressful and no fun at all. Students might be nervous, worried, excited, and everything in between. Something that works wonders is a simple treat wrapped up with a motivational message that shows students you believe in them. Check out these FREE treat tags ready to download and print. Just add the snack and you're ready to go!2) 1 (classroom) thing you want to do again next yearNext year I plan on keeping my students desks organized by placing a strip of duct tape down the center (inside) for my two classes to keep their workbooks and journals separate. It worked like a charm this year, and I am happy to say most of the strips lasted the entire year, lol!3) 1 (classroom) thing you want to change next yearI would love to finally organize my library. The picture below shows what it looks like when it's clean! I would love to organize it by level, topic, or author (not sure which yet). I have a lot to think about and try over the summer.

4) 1 gift idea for coworkersUsing inspiration from Pinterest, the best gift idea for coworkers would be school supplies! As a teacher, there is always a dire need for these: post-its, Mr. Sketch markers, flair pens, and pencils. Throw them all in a cute basket with a ribbon and voilà! 5) 1 (classroom) organization tipUSE labels, folders, binders, and dividers!!!! Keep student information sheets, 504's, RtI information, attendance, substitute emergency plans, assessment copies, and even extra class rosters on hand. Start planning now for the beginning of next year. The more you plan now, the less stressful the beginning of next school year will be!Check out the blogs below for more Sailing Into Summer teaching ideas!!Happy summer everyone!!!

Monday, May 4, 2015

Thank you for joining me as I partner up with Lisa from PAWSitively Teaching and Marissa from Inspired Owl's Corner as we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week with a fantastic G.I.V.E.A.W.A.Y and L.I.N.K.Y!

I will be sharing 3 secrets from my classroom that I hope you can benefit from! Read, enjoy, and scroll on down to discover more secrets and . . . . . an AMAZING giveaway!!!

Currently, I am team teaching which means I see my class for Reading/Language Arts half a day, then teach do it all over with my partner's class for the other half of the day. A secret I have for avoiding messy desk is using these plastic milk crates found here. This eliminates the cramped desks and saves space. I wish I could do the Pinterest idea where there's drawers in the middle, but the crates work just as fine for basal books, binders, and school boxes. Another tiny thing that makes a HUGE difference is the duct tape down the middle of the desk. At the beginning of the year, I color coded the class books by AM-blue/PM-orange. Students keep their practice books and journals on their respective side. Easy Peasy :)

I was always struggling to keep a list of brain breaks in the classroom without being repetitive. Then, along came GoNoodle. Do you use GoNoodle in the classroom? I GoNoodle, my kids GoNoodle, and we will never go back! Our favorite right now is of course Pop See Ko 2.0. I find it so cute when they ask, "If we behave, can we play a brain break?" Check it out and I am sure you will love it!

Last but not least, I created these little gems (Interactive Reading Flaps in Spanish) to keep my kiddos engaged when responding to books in the classroom. They love cutting, pasting, answering, sharing, and the retention of skills is higher after the activities are presented in a meaningful way. I have recently bundled the four seasons to make it easier for teachers to save $$$ on the resource for the entire year. Feel free to share my page with any bilingual teacher that might benefit from these!

So now ..... time for the giveaway and the fabulous prizes you could win! Make sure to enter BOTH Rafflecopters and complete as many entries as you can, so that you can have MORE opportunities to win these A.M.A.Z.I.N.G bundles!!!!

Just take a look at everything you could win...One lucky reader will win this entire prize package!!!

Sunday, May 3, 2015

It's been a while since I've linked up with the Teaching Trio for a Sunday Scoop! Click the button below to find out what other teachers are up to on this beautiful Sunday!

I just woke up from a much needed nap (yayyyy!!!) soooo... I really have to get to doing all the things on my list. Here is my Sunday Scoop:

I know many of us are also planning for the week ahead. Here is a little {Freebie} I hope you can use. Cinco de mayo is right around the corner, and I have an acrostic poem to spark your students creativity as you teach about this celebration. Click on the picture and enjoy!!!